Fried Geckos? Why Bellingen Garage Doors Need Regular Servicing
Living in Bellingen or nearby towns like Gleniffer, Urunga, Repton, Valla, Nambucca or Mylestom comes with stunning scenery - but also some unique challenges for your garage door. In our region, the main risk isn’t always the stifling summer heat or pouring rain. Instead, it’s geckos, mud‑dauber wasps and other pests that can quietly damage your motor and electronics.
Geckos. Cute… Until They Break Your Garage Door
While Australia has many native geckos, the Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) has become the main culprit when it comes to garage door troubles. Originally from South-East Asia, this species has spread widely by hitching rides in freight, shipping containers, and cargo - and they’re now well-established across much of the NSW North Coast. These little reptiles are attracted to warm, protected areas - especially inside motor housings of garage door and gate motors!
Unlike native velvet geckos or dtellas, the Asian House Gecko thrives inside buildings - drawn to warm motors, electronics, lights and plenty of insect food. Unfortunately, that makes garage door motors an ideal hideout.
Asian House Geckos are easy to recognise:
They have a pale pinkish or grey colour at night
Distinctive spiny bands along the tail
Loud “chuck-chuck-chuck” calls
Large, lidless eyes with wavy pupils
A habit of setting up camp in human structures
Inside a garage door system, geckos can cause:
Motor faults when they squeeze into housings or onto circuit boards
Short circuits caused by droppings, moisture, or geckos themselves
Sensor issues when they block or sit on the beam
Obstructions if they enter track gaps or small moving components
They’re quick, curious and excellent at climbing almost any surface thanks to microscopic toe structures (setae) that use van der Waals forces -meaning they can cling to almost anything, including the inside of your motor cover.
While they’re harmless to humans and often quite entertaining to watch, they can be a real nuisance for garage door reliability. That’s why regular servicing helps keep them out of places they shouldn’t be.
Image 1 - A fried gecko on a gate circuit board. Image 2 - A circuit board that has stopped working due to gecko wee. Image 3 - A motor containing gecko eggs.
Mud-Dauber Wasps: Impressive Architects, Annoying for Garage Doors
Mud-dauber wasps - often called mud wasps - are a familiar sight across much of Australia, including the Coffs Coast. They come in a mix of black, orange and yellow tones, and are easy to recognise by their extremely slender “thread-waist,” which makes their bodies look like they’re held together with a piece of wire.
These wasps are solitary, gentle, and surprisingly industrious. Unlike social wasps or hornets, mud-daubers don’t live in colonies and rarely sting unless they’re grabbed or threatened. Most of the time, they’re busy doing two things: gathering nectar and building mud nests.
A female mud-dauber does all the construction work herself. She collects small amounts of wet mud or clay, carries it back to a sheltered spot - like a wall, ceiling joist, garage door motor or frame, or even inside a tool left open - and builds a long, narrow nest chamber. While working, she produces a high-pitched buzz that helps spread and smooth the mud. Once finished, she hunts spiders or caterpillars, paralyses them, places them inside the cell, lays a single egg, and seals it. When the young wasp matures, it simply chews its way out, breaking through the dried mud casing.
Nature-wise, they’re great:
They help control spiders and insect pests
They pollinate native flowering plants
They avoid conflict and aren’t aggressive
But for homeowners - especially around Bellingen - their habit of packing mud into sheltered gaps can cause real issues for garage doors and motors.
Mud-dauber nests can create garage door problems such as:
Filling tight spaces in springs or rollers with hardened mud
Blocking safety sensors
Clogging or weighing down moving parts
Entering motor housings and causing faults
Attracting ants or other insects to the area
Even a small amount of dried mud in the wrong place can stop a door from opening smoothly or cause major strain on the motor.
Image 1 and 3 - Mud-dauber wasp nests inside a garage door motor control panel. Image 2 - The long slender body of a mud-dauber wasp.
Pest-Free, Problem-Free Garages
In Bellingen, your garage door isn’t just a place to park the car - it's often the main entry to the home. Between daily use and the local wildlife trying to move in, wear and tear can build up faster than most people realise.
When pests like geckos or mud-daubers sneak into motors, nest inside spring housings, or pack mud around rollers and hinges, they create extra strain on the system. That added resistance can speed up failures you’d normally only see after years of use.
Regular servicing helps prevent:
Springs snapping from operating under uneven pressure caused by obstructions or rust
Rollers seizing from mud, debris, or pest activity inside the tracks
Doors going crooked when pests block the tracks or sensors
PC board failure when geckos or wasps nest on them
Springs and cables often fail suddenly - usually with a loud bang - but pests can make those failures happen sooner and with less warning. An annual service clears nests, debris and unwelcome “tenants,” helping catch issues early and preventing inconvenient and preventable breakdowns.
Smooth Operation and Motor Longevity
A well serviced garage door and motor lasts longer. At Back On Track we:
Realign doors and adjust spring tension to reduce strain
Check over all components and tighten any loose fittings
Lubricate all moving parts
Test any safety sensors that may be present
Remove pests, mud nests, and debris
Seal up any access points to motors and electronics that pests might use to access the motor
Treat for pests that may be present
Balanced, clean, and lubricated doors reduce stress on your motor and keep it working quietly and efficiently.
Cost Savings
Annual garage door servicing is a small investment compared to repair costs:
Circuit board replacements: $300–$500
Motor replacement: $700–$1,100
Spring replacement: $350+
Full door replacement: Thousands
For homeowners in Bellingen and surrounds, geckos, mud-dauber wasps, ants and other pests are all part of life. You can take simple steps to keep pests at bay naturally. A clove or peppermint oil spray around gaps and corners can help discourage geckos and insects, while sealing cracks and keeping the garage clean helps prevent unwanted visitors. Regular garage door servicing once a year keeps your door and motor running smoothly, prevents breakdowns, and extends their lifespan. It’s a routine calendar event that saves stress, time, and money - and gives pests like geckos and wasps the hint: time to find somewhere else to squat.
We’re excited to bring expert garage door repairs, servicing and installations to Bellingen, Fernmount, Brierfield, Coffs Harbour, Urunga, Sawtell, Raleigh, Boambee, Macksville, Nambucca Heads and all surrounds!
